One of the most commonly replaced and expensive components in conventional electrostatographic copiers and printers is a fusing roller. It is a costly item which wears out rapidly. It is generally replaced by a serviceman who must connect the roller to a suitable drive and locate temperature sensors, one or more skives and a fusing oil applicator at critical positions near or in contact with it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,197 shows an electrophotographic apparatus in which a color toner image is formed on a receiving sheet. The receiving sheet is fed to conventional roller fuser having a heated fusing roller and an unheated pressure roller spring urged into contact with the fusing roller. The nip between the rollers is made accessible for servicing and for clearing jams by having the upper roller pivotable away from the lower roller with an upper portion of the image-forming apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application 63-107319 (1988), laid-open Nov. 7, 1989 (1-277271), shows a fuser in which a large portion of the entire fuser is replaceable in a single unit. The single unit includes both a pressure roller and the fusing roller and skives for each roller. It has the substantial disadvantage of replacing the more durable pressure roller assembly with the fusing roller. The mounting of separate skives in the replaceable unit appears complicated and costly.